Teen Indicted for Debit Card Abuse Following Sunset Mall Theft

SAN ANGELO, TX — A Snyder man has been indicted in Tom Green County for using someone else’s bank card.

Jaelyn James, 18, of Snyder, Texas, was indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for debit or credit card abuse after stealing the victim’s wallet and using her bank card at the Sunset Mall.

According to court documents, on February 26, 2024, San Angelo police were dispatched to the 2600 block of Atlas Street regarding a debit card abuse call.

Officers learned that an employee at Dillard’s in the Sunset Mall was working on February 25th and reported that her wallet had been stolen while she was at work.

The victim began receiving notifications that unauthorized transactions were being made with one of her debit cards.

It was reported that seven unauthorized transactions were made on February 25th. Four were made at Lucky’s Lemonade Stand and three at Finish Line totaling $252.48.

Both locations where the unauthorized transactions were completed were in the Sunset Mall and were made shortly after her wallet had gone missing. Security at Sunset Mall was able to obtain surveillance footage of the theft of the victim’s wallet.

In the footage, a Hispanic male and a white female walk into the area of a sales counter where the victim’s wallet was. The wallet appeared to be in a cubby for employees to use.

The female walked beside the sales counter and reached into the cubby area and placed a pink object believed to be the victim’s wallet in her hooded jacket to conceal it.

Both the Hispanic male and the white female appeared to be working together during the theft as the male can be seen looking around as if he was a lookout.

Both the suspects left Dillard’s and a still frame photograph was taken. A “need to identify” was sent out to all San Angelo Police Officers, information states. 

An officer contacted the investigator and was able to positively identify James and the female, who was a juvenile.

The investigator inquired about the three transactions at Finish Line and spoke with a store manager.

The manager was able to provide receipts which showed the victim’s name associated with the card and the customer’s name section of the receipt had the name “Jaelyn James” confirming the theft of the victim’s wallet.

The Finish Line receipt also indicated the card was run as credit to bypass the PIN number.

James was arrested on June 12, 2024, and booked into the Tom Green County Jail. He has remained an inmate since being held on a $5,000 bond. James is next due in court on September 17, 2024.